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DeKalb County, Ga., officials have stopped site preparation for a $1.35 billion water-sewer overhaul at a wastewater-treatment plant, citing concerns about the quality of work. Among concerns are construction-related accidents, a structurally unsound retaining wall and water-quality violations. An internal investigation is underway to find out what might have gone wrong, starting with the county's permitting process.

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Columnaris, a bacterial illness, is likely to blame for the recent fish kill in Georgia's Ogeechee River, according to the state's Environmental Protection Division. Although the disease is not known to affect people, officials are warning area residents against swimming or eating fish from the affected river as they continue to investigate the water-quality issues.

A group of Pennsylvania teens is winding up a week of learning about conservation and natural resources at a camp held at a wildlife sanctuary. The Monroe County Conservation Camp, which ends today, had teens participating in group problem-solving activities, lessons in soil and land use, water-quality analysis and wildlife rehabilitation.

New regulations are pushing some municipalities and utilities to overhaul and improve aging wastewater systems, experts say. States are under pressure to create water-quality standards for nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous, and municipalities must upgrade their systems to achieve lower nutrient levels. Observers note, however, that some states have not set timetables for establishing standards and are instead waiting for the EPA to get involved.

Cities and towns in Illinois are competing for a limited amount of stimulus funding available for water-quality projects ranging from repairs of water-treatment plants to green roofs. The state EPA will collect $260 million from the federal government for the projects. It has a list of 1,641 projects that would cost more than $4 billion to complete.

Water quality in Maryland's Montgomery County has declined in recent years because of rapid development in and around Clarksburg, according to a recent report withheld from the public for several months. The data also indicates that sediment-control systems are not working as well as planned. County officials delayed releasing the report's findings while searching for potential solutions to the water-quality problems, but now will release the report by the end of the week.